Dr. Christel Broady Completes Prestigious English Language Specialist Assignment Helping Educators in the Philippines
Submitted on November 4, 2020
Dr. Christel Broady, Professor of Education at Georgetown College, has just completed an English Language Specialist project focusing on preparing educators and administrators in the Philippines for non-traditional instruction in the wake of COVID-19. Dr. Broady is part of a select group, as her project is one of 130 that the English Language Specialist Program supports each year.
Working virtually, Dr. Broady created webinars, presentations, and other materials for educators and school administrators in the Philippines that would help them better serve students while moving to online instruction. Culturally in the Philippines, teachers play an increasingly vital role in the lives of students, and the State Department of Education in the Philippines sought support from U.S. educators in retaining some of that personal touch through non-traditional instruction and sought to improve online instruction during the pandemic.
“We were often starting from scratch,” said Dr. Broady. “The Philippines is an incredibly poor country without some of the resources we take for granted, so we were creating resources from the ground up.” Dr. Broady has previously worked with the U.S. Department of State to develop curriculum standards in Ethiopia at the African Union. She has also worked with educators in Venezuela.
Her most recent assignment has seen a tremendous response. 1,600 teachers and school administrators participated in the live training, and, currently, more than 3.6 million people have accessed the learning materials produced for the project, which makes it one of the most far-reaching projects ever produced as part of the English Language Specialist Program. “I am humbled and grateful to have been chosen for this project,” said Dr. Broady. “I know that my learning experiences will benefit my work for GC and my service to our Bluegrass community, specifically, in my role as Fayette County Commissioner advising Mayor Gorton on the local immigrant communities.”
The English Language Specialist Program is the premier opportunity for leaders in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad. Through projects developed by U.S. Embassies in more than 80 countries, EL Specialists work directly with local teacher trainers, educational leaders, and ministry of education officials to exchange knowledge, build capacity, and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities in the United States and overseas.
Since 1991, the English Language Specialist Program has sent hundreds of TESOL scholars and educators abroad to promote English language learning, enhance English teaching capacity, and foster mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through cultural exchange. On assignment, EL Specialists may conduct intensive teacher training, advise ministries of education or participate in high-level educational consultations, and offer plenary presentations at regional,
national, or international TESOL conferences. These projects are challenging, and those selected represent the best of the U.S. TESOL community. In return, the program provides professional development opportunities to help participants experience different cultures and build skills that can greatly enhance their TESOL careers back home.
English Language Specialists are counted among the more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. The Specialist Program is administered by the Center for Intercultural Education and Development at Georgetown University.
For further information about the English Language Specialist Program or the U.S. Department of State, visit elprograms.org/specialist.
